Funnel Clouds and more in the Houston area...

[wxmann_91]

The reason its the 2nd most populated is because of houston mainly, then dallas and san antonio. Then you factor in its huge size and you get the population. But the thing is, most of the tornadoes that occur in texas in in the barren lands of western or central texas or the panhandle. And the reason the tornado count is so high is due to the amount of storms that annually move through texas, and since any thunderstorm can produce a tornado, they occasionally put down a few day by day. But if you go by the scale of the outbreaks, places like illinois, indiana, kansas or arkansas are far more impressive outbreaks than texas.

The Midwest sure has more intense tornadoes - at the surface. Then you realize that the TX panhandle is a lot less populated, and there are fewer structures to demolish.

There have been many major TX Panhandle outbreaks - Seven Days in May 1977, early June 1995 (Pampa, Allison, and Dimmit tornadoes), May 15, 2003, May 29, 2001, and I bet there are more.

[Extremeweatherguy]

A storm report from the SPC says that there was automotive windsheild damage in the area...seems like there are a lot more indications that this thing did impact automobiles more than I thought at first.

EDIT: Upon closer inspection...it does seem that many vehicles in my area did in fact recieve damage. Many have small dents everywhere, but they are barely visible unless looked at from the right angle.

[WaitingForSiren]

Yeah...its just that surface lows tend to not really get going till theyre northeast of texas..which puts the midwest in the prime spot for tornadoes.

november 22 1992 was a pretty impressive outbreak for texas, though.

[WaitingForSiren]

november 21*

[WaitingForSiren]

And Im surprised there arent any reports of hail 2 inches or larger out of the se texas cell...EWG's pictures seemed like some pretty big hail. at least 2 inches.

[wxmann_91]

november 21*

only in Houston though

Jarrell too was a fairly good-sized outbreak.

[WaitingForSiren]

The jarrell tornado is actually exactly what i am talking about with texas. you get supercells that go nuts out of nowhere and throw out tornadoes every now and then and thats basically what happened with the jarrell tornadio.

[KatDaddy]

Nice photo Extremeweatherguy. I was working at IAH and left as the storm was dying out. Still heavy rainfall as I drove down 290. My coworker called when he was just W of IAH near I-45 reporting golfball size hail. Tomorrow I will see if he has dents in the car.

[Extremeweatherguy]

I think they need to have a hailstorm rating scale for HS-0 to HS-5.

Here is what I think the parameters should be:

HS0 - A hail storm that causes no damage. Hail is typically in the pea sized range and does not accumulate. Hardly noticeable.

HS1 - A hail storm that causes very minor damages (especially to tender flowers and plants). Hail is noticeable outside and typically is in the dime to nickel size range; little wind is involved.

HS2 - A hail storm that causes minor damages, including the thinning of tree leaves, damage to tender plants, small dents to cars or aluminum structures, and minor roofing damage. Isolated glass damage is possible. This storm is noticable to those either indoors or outdoors and hail size typically ranges from quarter to golf ball size; little wind is involved.

HS3 - A hail storm that causes moderate damages, including major thinning of trees leaves, major damage to plants, numerous car dents, and widespread roofing damage. Damage to windows and windshields also occurs. This storm is very noticeable and dangerous if outside. Hail size typically ranges from golf ball to soft ball size; little wind is involved.

HS4 - A hail storm that causes major damages, including severe damage to trees (including sheared branches), extreme damage to plants, major car damage, and extreme roofing damage (holes in roof). Glass may also be broken. Hail size usually ranges from quarter to golf ball size (with severe winds), or soft ball to grapefruit size (if little wind). People could be injured or killed by the storm.

HS5 - A hail storm that causes paralyzing damages, including severe damage to most trees, extreme damage to crops, totaling of cars and aircraft, widespread glass and roof damages, and holes through brick walls. These storms can cause many injuries and death is possible if exposed. Hail size ranges from golf ball to soft ball size (with severe winds), or over grapefruit size (if little wind).

If this was a real scale...then the storm in my area today would be a HS2.

[HurricaneBill]

The Midwest sure has more intense tornadoes - at the surface. Then you realize that the TX panhandle is a lot less populated, and there are fewer structures to demolish.

There have been many major TX Panhandle outbreaks - Seven Days in May 1977, early June 1995 (Pampa, Allison, and Dimmit tornadoes), May 15, 2003, May 29, 2001, and I bet there are more.

Texas has had its share of violent tornadoes in the past.

Waco, TX 1953 (Tied with the 1902 Goliad tornado as the deadliest tornado in Texas history. An F5 that claimed 114 lives.)

Lubbock, TX 1970 (An F5 tornado moved through downtown Lubbock, killing 28. Good proof that tornadoes can and do move through the heart of cities.)

Wichita Falls, TX 1979 (A multi-vortex F4 moved through Wichita Falls, killing 42 people. A majority of the fatalities occured in vehicles rying to outrun the tornado on a highway.)

Saragosa, TX 1987 (An F4 tornado that struck a very rural and sparsely populated area in the Texas panhandle. The small town of Saragosa was obliterated, with 90% of structures either damaged or destroyed. Out of a population of 185 people, 30 lost their lives. The majority of fatalities occured in a building where a kindergarten graduation ceremony was taking place.)

Jarrell, TX 1997 ( A violent F5 that wiped out subdivisions in Jarrell, killing 27. In one subdivision, nothing was left except slabs completely wiped clean off debris.)

[Johnny]

It looks like we have an MCS coming together over the hill country moving ESE. Is this supposed to hold together?

[Extremeweatherguy]

It looks like we have an MCS coming together over the hill country moving ESE. Is this supposed to hold together?

It is certainly possible, but if not we still have a threat tomorrow and Saturday as well.

[Portastorm]

We're getting the brunt of it at the moment here in north Austin. Looks like the most severe cells remain to our west, in the Hill Country, moving southeast (maybe towards San Antone).

[jasons2k]

The reason its the 2nd most populated is because of houston mainly, then dallas and san antonio. Then you factor in its huge size and you get the population. But the thing is, most of the tornadoes that occur in texas in in the barren lands of western or central texas or the panhandle. And the reason the tornado count is so high is due to the amount of storms that annually move through texas, and since any thunderstorm can produce a tornado, they occasionally put down a few day by day. But if you go by the scale of the outbreaks, places like illinois, indiana, kansas or arkansas are far more impressive outbreaks than texas.

This may be somewhat true for the Gulf Coast of TX where a good share of tornadoes can be attributed to instability in a tropical airmass (like Florida) resulting in weak F-0, F-1 Tornadoes and waterspouts. But this is not the case at all for most of Texas. The TX panhandle sees relatively little rainfall and thunderstorm days and its outbreaks are very similiar to those in the other plains states, such as LP supercells firing on the dryline. Almost all of the tornadoes in the panhandle occur exclusively in April/May, so it's not spread out.

Anyone who knows TX weather knows exactly what Waco, Goliad, Melissa, Paris, Lubbock, Wichita Falls, Saragosa, and Jarrell have in common.

[jasons2k]

We're getting the brunt of it at the moment here in north Austin. Looks like the most severe cells remain to our west, in the Hill Country, moving southeast (maybe towards San Antone).

Stay safe tonight!

[Portastorm]

We're getting the brunt of it at the moment here in north Austin. Looks like the most severe cells remain to our west, in the Hill Country, moving southeast (maybe towards San Antone).

Stay safe tonight!

Thanks man! It's fairly intense here right now. Pea sized hail and I estimate we saw wind gusts of 50-60 mph. It's storming pretty good. Think I may have actually lost a smaller tree in the woods right behind my house.

Good luck to everyone else. This MCS means business.

[Yankeegirl]

Are these storms moving towards the Houston area?? Im on the west side of town, we might get it soon... Would be nice since we didnt get any of the action here today...I do know that my work at Willowbrook Starbucks they have no power since 5 pm today... They think a transformer blew...

[Yankeegirl]

Looks like another round might be firing up and moving into the Houston area later on tonight... they upped the rain chances overnight to 60%......

Hazardous Weather Outlook

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
356 PM CDT THU MAY 4 2006

GMZ330-335-350-355-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-
235>238-051300-
AUSTIN-BRAZORIA-BRAZOS-BURLESON-CHAMBERS-COLORADO-FORT BEND-
GALVESTON-GALVESTON BAY-GRIMES-HARRIS-HOUSTON-JACKSON-LIBERTY-
MADISON-MATAGORDA-MATAGORDA BAY-MONTGOMERY-POLK-SAN JACINTO-
TRINITY-WALKER-WALLER-WASHINGTON-
WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT OUT 20 NM-WHARTON-
356 PM CDT THU MAY 4 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE NORTHERN HALF OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS THIS EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS WITH
LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREAT.

.DAYS TWO AND THREE...FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP EARLY FRIDAY MORNING OVER
CENTRAL TEXAS AND MOVE TOWARD SOUTHEAST TEXAS. SOME OF THESE
STORMS MAY GENERATE LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS. FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SATURDAY MORNING ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP AS A FRONT SAGS SOUTHWARD INTO THE AREA. THERE IS A RISK
FOR STRONG OR SEVERE STORMS AND FOR HEAVY RAINFALL.

.DAYS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

[Extremeweatherguy]

it got very windy here right now!

[Extremeweatherguy]

And Im surprised there arent any reports of hail 2 inches or larger out of the se texas cell...EWG's pictures seemed like some pretty big hail. at least 2 inches.

I know, I am surprised too. Actually, my pictures show hail in the .75" - 1.75" range, but yes, there were a few larger pieces. Also, on the news they showed a guy carrying baseball sized hail and hit car windows were blown out. It is weird that these larger pieces were never reported.